ALMOST £67million is estimated to have been spent in one year by Scotland’s quangos on public relations, according to a Scots think tank.
Says Reform Scotland, the figures – mainly relating to the financial year 2010/11 – are part of a financial review of quangos, including Scottish Government funding to the tune of £15.25billion.
Other figures sourced by Reform Scotland – via Freedom of Information requests – include overseas travel and use of external consultants.
The story is featured on page one of The Scotsman today.
The estimated PR bill is £66,841,073.
The breakdown reads as follows:
Accounts Commission for Scotland – Total Scottish Government funding: £0, PR spend: Owned by Audit Scotland
Bòrd na Gàidhlig – Total Scottish Government funding: £5,459,000; PR spend: £410
Cairngorms National Park Authority £4,913,000; £203,189
Care Inspectorate £21,600,000; £204,296
Creative Scotland £52,900,000; £209,000.90
Crofting Commission £3,477,000; £72,187
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (expenditure for 2011/12) £68,215,000; £847,544
Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority £8,005,000; £270,855
National Galleries of Scotland £18,701,000; £286,694
National Library of Scotland (expenditure for oct 11-mar12) £19,597,000; £176,576
National Museums of Scotland £50,779,000; £36,800
Police Complaints Commissioner for Scotland (expenditure for 2011/12) £1,030,000; £0
Risk Management Authority (expenditure for 2011/12) £1,100,000; £33,750
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh £12,301,000; £282,105
Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (expenditure for 2011/12) £6,010,000; £139,724
Scottish Agricultural Wages Board £0 (SG provide secretariat and meet running costs); £0
Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration £27,677,000; £22,832
Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (expenditure for 2011/12) £1,163,000; £8,288
Scottish Enterprise £228,406,000; £12,379,267
Scottish Environment Protection Agency £44,798,000; £1,226 896
Scottish Funding Council (expenditure for 2011/12) £1,778,204,000; £80,286
Scottish Legal Aid Board £167,135,000; £186,180
Scottish Legal Complaints Commission £0 (funded via levy from the legal profession); £32,491
Scottish Natural Heritage £66,863,000; £4,744,599
Scottish Police Services Authority (expenditure for 2011/12) £99,006,000; £5,000
Scottish Qualifications Authority £17,378,000; £1,510,000
Scottish Social Services Council £13,724,000; £401,275
Skills Development Scotland £202,101,000; £1,495,508.89
Sportscotland £41,500,000; £293,598
VisitScotland £44,330,000; £33,225,000
Water Industry Commission for Scotland £0; £10,519
Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland (expenditure for 2011/12) £460,000; £9,755
Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland £365,000; £n/a
Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland £30,000; £0
Public Transport Users Committee for Scotland £24,000; £0
Scottish Advisory Committee on Distinction Awards £156,604; £0
Scottish Law Commission (expenditure for 2011/12) £1,075,000; £1,032
Scottish Local Authorities Remuneration Committee £30,000; £n/a
Additional Support Needs Tribunals for Scotland (expenditure for 2011/12) £0 (funded from a consolidated tribunals budget for five tribunals); £0
Children’s Panels (Expenditure Oct 10 to Mar 11) £0 £0 (funded from a consolidated tribunals budget for five tribunals); £2,828
Lands Tribunal for Scotland £0 (funded from a consolidated tribunals budget for five tribunals); £0
Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland £0 (funded from a consolidated tribunals budget for five tribunals); £0
Parole Board for Scotland £1,177,000; £0
Private Rented Housing Panel £0 (funded from a consolidated tribunals budget for five tribunals); £0
Scottish Charity Appeals Panel £0 (funded from a consolidated tribunals budget for five tribunals); £0
Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (expenditure for 2011/12) £14,800,000 (Payments are made to subsidiaries of David MacBrayne Ltd under legally binding); £45,155
Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (expenditure for 2011/12) £29,000,000; £125,553
Scottish Futures Trust £5,900,000; £42,253
Scottish Water £150,100,000; £81,560,000
NHS Ayrshire & Arran £588,672,000; £421,000
NHS Borders £171,196,000; £0
NHS Dumfries & Galloway £246,069,000; £413,092
NHS Fife £528,555,000; £241,058
NHS Forth Valley £406,315,000; £305,928
NHS Grampian £703,756,000; £210,044
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde £1,955,287,000; £355,000
NHS Highland £496,614,000; £214,361
NHS Lanarkshire £823,798,000; £471,000
NHS Lothian £1,062,531,000; £673,000
NHS Orkney (expenditure for 2011/12) £32,070,000; £0
NHS Shetland (expenditure for 2011/12) £37,673,000; £0
NHS Tayside £614,126,000; £239,833
NHS Western Isles (expenditure for 2011/12) £59,738,000; £61,736
Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland (expenditure for 2011/12) £3,700,000; £169,736
National Waiting Times Centre Board (expenditure for 2011/12) £49,154,000; £0
NHS 24 £58,519,000; £n/a
NHS Education for Scotland £399,400,000; £89,953
Scottish Ambulance Service Board (expenditure for 2011/12) £215,438,000; £27,064
State Hospital Board for Scotland £74,681,000; £50,387
Accountant in Bankruptcy £6,917,000; £112,588
Disclosure Scotland £1,450,000; £37,579
Historic Scotland £49,610,000; £1,311,221
Scottish Prison Service (expenditure for 2011/12) £485,893,000; £8,170
Scottish Public Pensions Agency £11,700,000; £0
Student Awards Agency for Scotland (expenditure for 2011/12) £7,850,000; £164,895
Transport Scotland £1,531,400,000; See Note
Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator £3,647,000; £185,778
Registers of Scotland (expenditure for 2011/12) £0 (self-financing); £320,000
Scottish Court Service (expenditure for 2011/12) £98,235,000; £187,156
Scottish Housing Regulator £4,700,000; £41,991
Commission for Ethical Standards in Public Life £0; £22,069
Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People (expenditure for 2011/12) £0; £171,957
Scottish Human Rights Commission £0; £77,317
Scottish Information Commissioner £0; £31,369
Scottish Public Services Ombudsman(expenditure for 2011/12) £0; £58,632
Standards Commission for Scotland £635,000; £14,469
Audit Scotland £0 (most money comes from fees charged to public bodies); £416,823
Court of Lord Lyon £46,000; £0
Drinking Water Quality Regulator £430,000; £15,242
HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland £886,000; £0
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons in Scotland £380,000; £2,657
HM Chief Inspector of Prosecution in Scotland £350,000; £0
Office of the Queens Printer £100,000; £0
Scottish Agricultural College (expenditure Oct 10-Mar 11) £8,576,500; £219,196
Scottish Roadworks Commissioner (expenditure for 2011/12) £265,000; £2,740
Association of Visiting Committees for Scottish Penal Establishments £72,780; £0
Note: Architecture & Design Scotland failed to respond to our FOI and follow-up; Moredun Research Institute is not covered by FOI legislation; The James Hutton Institute, National Records of Scotland, Education Scotland and Healthcare Improvement Scotland are not included in the above figures as they were only formed in 2011; Justices of the Peace Committees are not included as they are administered by Local Authorities; Transport Scotland’s response said that it would be publishing the details on its website – it is yet to do so. Quality Meat Scotland has a problem defining PR given the nature of their work, though is not funded by the Scottish Government but by a levy on the meat industry.
